Top Senate Democrat Rejects Raising Medicare Eligibility Age

As rumors swirl that Democrats may consider raising the Medicare eligibility age to reach a deal before the looming “fiscal cliff,” a top Senate Democrat expressed opposition to that option Sunday. Speaking on Meet the Press, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said raising the age at which seniors can receive Medicare from 65 to 67 would leave retired seniors with a dangerous gap in their health coverage:

DURBIN: I do believe there should be means testing. and those of us with higher income in retirement should pay more. That could be part of the solution. But when you talk about raising the eligibility age, there’s one key question. what happens to the early retiree? What about that gap in coverage between workplace and Medicare? How will they be covered? I listened to Republicans say we can’t wait to repeal Obamacare, and the insurance exchanges. well, where does a person turn if they are 65 years of age and the medicare eligibility age is 67? They have two years there where they may not have the best of health. They need accessible, affordable medical insurance during that period.

1. That's not how I read it

They need accessible, affordable medical insurance during that period.

That's the line I paid attention to. If those who are 65-67 have to start paying for a private health care policy instead of contributing to Medicare, that weakens the program. It's also designed to automatically increase the retirement age to 67 because most people won't be able to afford the shit policies they'll be forced to buy if they retire at 65.

Durbin is one of the major players behind the scenes, discussing ways to raise the eligibility age and he's a major star in a video I'm working on that will expose all of the Democrats who want to see the same thing. Don't be fooled into believing anything else. He's been a snake throughout.

4. Boy do you ever have that right.

I live in Illinois. I have watched him go from a protege of the late, great Senator Simon to someone very self-serving. He has mixed in local and state politic in some very unwelcome ways. He has not been a good judge of people lately, promoting those who are friends rather than those who will do the best job.

Maybe he has been in office too long. We need a woman in that spot. I used to think that Sandy Jackson was a good candidate, but JJ Jr. has ruined that. Also, downstaters might not like it. Maybe Michelle Obama would be a better choice.

14. This man is nothing more than an unscrupulous

dirtbag who is trying to turn medicare and ultimately social security into welfare. He is in the top five of public enemies. Means testing will lead to more and more lowering incomes standards as to who can be accepted into social programs. This is the new fascist way: a ruse about not wanting to raise ages to collect social programs while implementing programs to rob all but the very poor of ANY social program. I hope the hell Sanders can see through horseshit. So time goes by and suddenly down the road our children and grandchildren are screwed because they earn too much (then at 30 grand yearly) to collect from social programs.

3. Riiiight

Let's take the healthiest of those paying Medicare premiums out of the system and give it to private insurance companies (if they can afford the higher premiums and shittier coverage.) That's the way to strengthen it!

5. I like this part

"I do believe there should be means testing. and those of us with higher income in retirement should pay more."

As for this:

"where does a person turn if they are 65 years of age and the medicare eligibility age is 67? They have two years there where they may not have the best of health. They need accessible, affordable medical insurance during that period."

Add Medicare to the exchanges, open it up to more people.

There is no other rational alternative. From the link:

A Congressional Budget Office study of the proposal to raise the Medicare age to 67 found it would have “little effect on the trajectory of Medicare’s long-term spending” because the youngest Medicare beneficiaries are the healthiest and least costly to the program. The costs, meanwhile, would include an estimated net increase of $5.6 billion in out-of-pocket health insurance costs for beneficiaries who would have been otherwise covered by Medicare, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. Seniors in Medicare Part B would also face a 3 percent premium increase, the study found, since younger and healthier enrollees would be routed out of Medicare and into private insurance. Beneficiaries in health care reform’s exchanges would see a similar spike in premiums with the addition of the older population.